The present invention relates to a dispensing apparatus and method of dispensing different materials in desired ratios. More particularly, although not exclusively, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus utilising an auger to dispense a first material while dispensing one or more further material via a hollow shaft of the auger. The invention finds particular application in the dispensing of consumable food products to be packaged.
A number of consumable food products are provided in packages in desired ratios, such as baking mixes (e.g. cookies, brownies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, etc), savoury food products (e.g. cheese and macaroni, seasoned mashed potato) etc. Different components have different physical properties and some are fragile. One conventional approach has been to premix components in bulk in desired ratios and then dispense the mixed components to be packaged. This approach has the disadvantage that materials having different physical properties tend to segregate. This results in packages of the food products containing an inconsistent mixture of components. To ensure that a minimum amount of certain components are present additional amounts must be added at the bulk mixing stage. This can increase the cost of production and still results in varying ratios of components in the packages.
As well as delivering the components in inconsistent ratios the prior art techniques can also damage fragile particulate components (such as chocolate chips, nuts, coloured chips, fruit etc). In a typical prior art dispenser the premixed components are fed from a bulk-mixing hopper to a dispensing hopper. An auger is driven to deliver desired amounts of the premixed material to an outlet of the dispensing hopper for bagging. Fragile particulate components can be damaged by such dispensing due to shear effects at the edge of the auger. Further, such an arrangement requires a bulk-mixing hopper to premix the components. Additionally, in the prior art dispenser it is difficult to change from the dispensing of one product mixture to another, as the contents of the main hopper must be fully discharged. In the prior art where one of the components is a potential allergen (such as peanuts) a full clean out of the complete apparatus can be required prior to dispensing an allergen free product.
SU 579516 discloses an apparatus for feeding and drying free flowing moist materials. An auger within a pipe feeds materials into a zone where the material is exposed to “heat carrier jets” and the fluidised material is conveyed to an outlet nozzle. The invention relates to an apparatus and method for pre-drying a uniform material and does not disclose a method or apparatus for mixing different materials in desired ratios.
JP 10297769 relates to a bag-filling device for filling a bag with a powdered material. An auger moves the powder from a hopper to an outlet while a rod is movable within the shaft supporting the auger to perform deaeration. Again, there is not disclosed a method or apparatus for mixing different components in desired ratios.